Thoughts and observations by English poet Roger N. Taber, a retired librarian & poet-novelist.- "Colour, creed, sex, sexuality... these are but part of a whole. It is the whole that counts." RNT [NB While I have no wish to create a social network, I will always reply to emails. Contact: rogertab@aol.com].

About Me

A gay man. Born in Gillingham, Kent (UK) Dec. 21st 1945. Graduated with BA Hons. in English & American literature, the University of Kent in Canterbury, summer 1973.

Some 600+ poems have appeared in poetry publications worldwide since 1993, excluding any that only appear in my collections (see amazon.co.uk under R. N. Taber).

Better known as a poet, I had my first novel - 'Blasphemy' by Roger N. Taber - published in the US in October 2006 ; it is Book 1 of a planned trilogy and is also distributed in the UK & the rest of Europe. Book 2 - 'Sacrilege' - is only on sale in the UK or direct from the author on the Internet. [Book 3 - 'Redemption' - should be available from late 2010]. Other novels have not yet found an agent/ publisher.

Saturday, 24 March 2012

Envoys For A City OR Ghosts: Fingers on the Pulse of History

Today’s
poem last appeared on the blog in 2010 and is repeated here today especially
for ‘Moses and Johanna’ who have been in touch to say how they, like me, have a
love-hate relationship with London.

Now, I
have lived in or near London for most of my life. I’ve seen many changes,
mostly for the worse as London has become more and more overcrowded and its
public transport systems less able to cope. Even with a car, it is rare that
you can drive the same route more than two days running due to road works, and
even then there is often nowhere convenient to park.

Yes, I
have the same love-hate relationship with London that I’ve had since I was
child and used to visit my grandparents in Battersea. I love wandering round its museums and art
galleries, exploring the South Bank, strolling on Hampstead Heath or along the
Regent’s Canal...BUT...hate the noise, crowds, and resulting pollution levels.

Will I
ever move away? I doubt it. As I grow older, I embrace change with less and
less enthusiasm. Besides, if home is where the heart is, I suspect mine is in
London.

I read
the poem on YouTube some time ago. You can see Tower Bridge and the Tower of
London in the background. Church bells began to ring out as I was reading the poem, but I think they add to rather than distract from the reading. [Background noise is always a problem when reading 'on location' especially as I could only afford a cheap camcorder. This is why I read more poems as voice-overs in later videos. If interested, you can access my YouTube channel at: